Init
Foundations

Initial — Taking the first steps

Short pieces in five-finger position. The challenge is reading notes, matching them to fingers, and getting both hands to cooperate at all.

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What to expect at this grade

Initial is where everything begins. The pieces are deliberately short and simple — the job is to build the habit of regular practice, read notes with growing confidence, and get each hand to do its own thing. These foundations matter: the physical habits formed here follow you all the way to Grade 8.

The most important focus right now is evenness — each finger producing the same weight and clarity, none dominating the others. Slow, attentive practice is worth far more than running through pieces quickly and hoping it sticks.

When you can play your pieces at a steady pulse without stopping, and your C major scale feels natural rather than effortful, you have strong skill coverage for this level. Steadiness matters more than speed.

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Technical skills — what your hands and arms need to do
TechnicalFinger Independence — First Steps
Pressing individual keys cleanly, one finger at a time, without tension spreading to the others. Each note should have the same weight and clarity.
Training exercises
Hanon exercises 1–5 (very slowly)
Czerny Op. 599 Nos. 1–6
Repertoire examples
Gurlitt — Dance, Op. 227 No. 2
Reinagle — Allegretto in C Major
L. Mozart — Menuet in F (Nannerl-Notenbuch)
TechnicalScale Technique — Five-Finger Patterns
Playing a five-note span with an even, connected tone. Thumb crossing is not yet required — the hand stays in one position.
Training exercises
C major five-finger exercises, hands separately
Schaum Fingerpower Primer
Repertoire examples
Handel — Gavotte in C
Schattel — Racing Against Each Other
Trad. — John Ryan's Polka
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Musical skills — interpretation and expression
MusicalPhrase Shaping — First Steps
Simply playing the last note of a phrase a little more quietly — letting the music breathe. It's the seed of everything that comes later.
Training exercises
Play any short melody and consciously soften the final note of each phrase
Repertoire examples
Humbert — The Black Forest Doll
Kabalevsky — A Little Scherzo, Op. 39 No. 6
Gurlitt — Dance, Op. 227 No. 2
MusicalDynamic Awareness
Understanding that not every note needs the same volume — distinguishing between forte and piano in the simplest terms.
Training exercises
Play a phrase twice — once loud, once soft — and hear the difference
Repertoire examples
Kabalevsky — A Little Scherzo, Op. 39 No. 6
Reinagle — Allegretto in C Major
Handel — Gavotte in C
Stepping stones
Accessible pieces to start with — manageable challenges that build confidence at this grade.
Allegretto in C Major
A. Reinagle
Dance, Op. 227 No. 2
C. Gurlitt
John Ryan's Polka
Trad.
Grade benchmarks
If you can play these convincingly, you have genuinely mastered this grade.
A Little Scherzo, Op. 39 No. 6
D. Kabalevsky
Racing Against Each Other
B. Schattel
Performance pieces
Worth learning beyond the exam — pieces that reward an audience and stay with you.
The Black Forest Doll
G. F. Humbert
Gavotte in C
G. F. Handel
Ready for the next step?
Grade 1 — Both hands, working together
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